The commercial production of apple juice and cider produces large amounts of fibrous waste, known as pomace, as a by-product. And while the material is now just scrapped, new research suggests it can be used to boost the health of chickens.
About 175,350 tons (193,290 tons) of apple pomace were produced in the United States alone during the 2021-2022 growing season, according to Cornell University scientists.
Due to the high sugar and acid content of the material, in addition to the way it is fermented, composting it and using it as a fertilizer on a large scale disrupts the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of the soil. As a result, most apple pomace is simply dumped in landfills.
Previous research suggests that naturally occurring phytochemicals and prebiotics in apples may promote gut health and the gut microbiome (the community of beneficial microorganisms that live in the gut). increase. A good gut microbiome is associated with many health benefits, including resistance to autoimmune diseases and bacterial infections.
With these facts in mind, Professor Assoc. Elad Tako and Ph.D. student Cydney Jackson decided to investigate whether diets fortified with apple pomace could improve the health of broiler chickens. started. Broiler chickens are an established model for evaluating the effects of plant-based compounds on gut health.
For this study, scientists injected apple pomace extract into the amniotic fluid of developing embryos in chicken eggs. Taco said doing so is a reliable means of “demonstrating the potential beneficial nutritional effects of specific dietary components.”
When the eggs were hatched and the chicks were analyzed, the pomace extract increased the animal’s transport system for amino acids, improved iron bioavailability, and enhanced and supported colonic microbial populations compared to the control group. Proliferation of beneficial intestinal bacteria. A planned long-term feeding trial is expected to corroborate these findings.
“Right now, pomace is treated like industrial waste. If there is a possibility of using nutrient-rich pomace, it can be added to the broiler diet,” Octopus said. “We can improve the nutrition of their feed and achieve productivity in a more natural way, potentially reducing the use of additional dietary chemicals.”
A paper on this study was recently published in the journal nutrients.
Source: Cornell University
